This Asian Chicken Noodle Salad (if you can even call it a salad) is packed with veggies like cabbage, cucumbers and bell peppers, ramen noodles and perfectly seasoned chicken is tossed in the most delicious sesame dressing.
Why you’ll love this Asian Chicken Noodle Salad:
Easy to make- This quick dinner recipe comes together in under 30 minutes making it the perfect weeknight dinner. The shredded cabbage mix is probably my favorite convenience ingredient, cutting down the already minimal chopping time for this recipe. Ground chicken also requires no prep time as it can be thrown straight in the pan and seasoned there.
Healthy- For me, this dish has the perfect balance of protein from the chicken, healthy fat from the sesame dressing, carbs from the noodles and veggies and lots of fiber from all the veggies. I love a recipe with a variety of textures and colors, ensuring I’m maximizing different nutrients in my diet.
Perfect for meal prep- This Asian Chicken Noodle Salad saves really well for lunch or dinner the next day, making it another great recipe to add to your meal prep routine. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and the crisp veggies hold up to the dressing.
Ingredients:
Avocado or olive oil- Provides healthy fat for cooking chicken and helps to brown it a little.
Ground chicken- The main protein source in this Asian Chicken Noodle Salad is so convenient as it doesn’t require any cleaning or cutting. It can be seasoned directly in the pan and it cooks in minutes. You can easily substitute chicken for tofu to keep this dish vegan or vegetarian without sacficing flavor or protein.
Soy sauce or coconut aminos- This adds so much flavor to the chicken and the dressing. Tamari can be used as a gluten free soy sauce alternative. Coconut aminos is another great soy sauce alternative since it is gluten free and soy free, however it does taste a little sweeter than soy sauce or tamari so you might not need honey in the dressing.
Persian cucumbers- Add a crunchy and refreshing bite to this salad. You can use an English cucumber instead but may want to deseed it first as the seeds are much larger.
Bell pepper- Adds a nice crispy crunch and holds up really well with the dressing. Did you know that the color of the pepper depends on how ripe it is? Bell peppers are green, then yellow, then red. They get slightly sweeter as they ripen so pick the color based on the flavor you want!
Shredded cabbage mix- You can absolutely shred your own cabbage and carrots. However, it’s so convenient having this mix on hand because it lasts about a week in the refrigerator and can be thrown in so many different recipes.
Ramen noodles- Ramen is a key ingredient in this Asian Chicken Noodle Salad. Luckily, there are so many ramen noodle options on the market, including gluten free brands, and most grocery stores carry at least a couple options. I like this gluten free brand, it can be ordered from Amazon if you can’t find noodles at the store.
Sesame Dressing- This dressing is so bright, creamy and easy to make. It comes together in a couple of minutes and can be stored for over a week in the refrigerator. I like to make extra dressing and keep it in the jar so it can be easily shaken when it separates. Dressings are easily shaken and stored in my favorite Mason Jars.
Looking for more dinner ideas?
Check out more main dish recipes here.
Asian Chicken Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. avocado oil
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded cabbage mix
- 2-3 portions ramen noodles, cooked
Sesame Dressing
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, plus extra for topping
- 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. tahini
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. ginger, minced
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 pinch cayenne or squeeze of sriracha
Instructions
- Start boiling water in a pot large enough for the ramen noodles.
- Heat oil in medium-size pan over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and break up with wooden spoon. Cook through for about 8 minutes, add garlic, soy sauce/coconut aminos and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
- Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions. Drain and place to the side.
- Wash and chop vegetables. Place in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- In a jar, combine all sesame dressing ingredients. Seal and shake well until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Combine chicken, noodles, vegetables and dressing and mix well.
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